The park at the end of your block is worth more of your time than you might give it. Meridian Hill's cascading fountain runs thirteen basins down a long formal terrace, and the geometry of it rewards a slow walk from the top. From there, the city opens up around you in every direction. Georgetown is a short rideshare away, and the C&O Canal towpath will pull you deeper into it than the main streets ever could. Rock Creek Park threads between both worlds, quieter than you'd expect this close to everything. And if you find yourself drawn toward stone and sky, the National Cathedral earns the detour, every carved surface a reason to stop.
Within 25 miles · ranked by scenic score
12 Places Worth Seeing
Washington DC, DC
Meridian Hill Park Cascades
A 13-basin cascading fountain is the centerpiece of this formal Italianate park in Columbia Heights - the longest cascading fountain in North America.
Washington DC, DC
Dumbarton Oaks Gardens
Sixteen acres of terraced formal gardens in Georgetown with a Rose Garden, Fountain Terrace, and Pebble Garden - among the most beautiful private gardens in the country.
Washington DC, DC
Tudor Place Gardens
A Federal-era Georgetown estate with 5.5 acres of formal English gardens, boxwood parterres, and a bowling green that have been continuously maintained since 1816.
Washington DC, DC
Georgetown Waterfront Park
A mile of Potomac riverfront with views of Key Bridge, Roosevelt Island, and the Virginia shore. Kayakers, scullers, and rowers add life to the scene throughout the day.
Washington DC, DC
Georgetown Canal Towpath
The C&O Canal cuts through Georgetown between historic rowhouses and original stone lock houses, creating a romantic 19th-century industrial waterway in the heart of the city.
Washington DC, DC
Washington Harbour
Georgetown's fountain plaza and marina district offers sweeping views of the Potomac, the Key Bridge, and the Virginia shoreline. The tiered terraces and sculpted fountains create layered compositions at every hour.
Washington DC, DC
National Cathedral
The sixth-largest cathedral in the world crowns the highest point in DC. Gothic spires, intricate stonework, and stained glass make it a paradise for architectural photography.
Washington DC, DC
Rock Creek Park - Boulder Bridge
A rugged stone arch bridge over Rock Creek, hidden in the woods just miles from downtown. The boulder-strewn creek below is ideal for long-exposure water photography.
Washington DC, DC
Hillwood Estate Gardens
Cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post's 25-acre estate includes a formal French garden, Japanese garden, rose garden, and woodland walk - all beautifully maintained.
Washington DC, DC
Peirce Mill
A fully restored 19th-century grist mill on Rock Creek, with the original millrace, millstone, and wooden waterwheel operating on weekends - a pastoral scene impossible to place in a major city.
Washington DC, DC
Georgetown Steps
The 75 steep stone steps at the end of Prospect Street immortalized in The Exorcist offer a striking urban composition - flanked by Victorian rowhouses and framing views of the C&O Canal and Georgetown below.
Washington DC, DC
Kogod Courtyard
A stunning undulating glass canopy by Norman Foster shelters the courtyard of the American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery. The wave-pattern roof casts extraordinary moving shadows throughout the day.
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